New Beginnings
by shallwedance
Summary: Bella is a new student at Forks High. She is also a vampire. So without the attraction of her blood the BxE story just won't happen, right? Wrong. Part2 up so read and find out what happens after the first kiss... Now completed so R&R Rated T just in case
1. Taster

**_Right, there is now a sequel, go check it out! Also review for things that you think could happen, thanks!_**

**Okay, a new idea! Tell me what you think!**

**I own none of these characters; they belong to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer! (This is true for all possible future chapters!) **

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Chapter One

"No, I'm not hungry, honest; it must be first-day nerves, that's all, I swear!" but still she persists. "Jess, no. Honest I'd just feel ill. I promise I'll have something later. Goodness! You sound just like my mother!" I need not tell her that my mother has been dead for a countless number of years and although I am not hungry, I am certainly thirsty.

"Look, Jess, I'm gonna go sit in my car awhile okay? I need to de-stress a bit!" I hold my hand up, making it tremble as if in nerves and, at her nod, I set off. She turns to the rest of the table and starts a discussion that I tune out of, knowing it to be about me: the new girl.

As I pass through the door, leading into the constant sheets of rain and grass rippling with the gusts of wind, a familiar scent is sent my way. I whip my head up, nostrils flared, searching for the source. My eyes come to rest on a table of statues, untouched trays of food in front of each of them. This situation is not new to me and I know exactly what is happening. I know that although they each have the same coloured eyes, the same bruises and complexion, they are no more relatives to each other than I.

A fresh gust of wind comes through the door, blowing my hair behind me along with my own scent into the hubbub of the cafeteria, but before I can mask it with a new illusion, the faces of each sculpted beauty registers shock, turning to the door and where I stood only moments ago.

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**What do you think? Should I continue or what? Reviews appreciated.**

**Thanks!**

**_PS, go check out the sequel and REVIEW with any ideas! Thanks!_**


	2. Investigating

**Here's chapter 2! Enjoy! Admittedly it's not much longer but oh well, I'm already writing chapter 3! Lucky people! **

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Chapter Two

I rush out of the school at a brisk walk, passing the lines of rusting cars and heading for the cover of the trees whereupon I lean heavily against the moss covered trunk of a wide tree, hiding me from any possibly prying eyes. Taking deep shaky breaths I note the sweet scent of a fox and follow it. I do not necessarily need anything, but the sweet liquid is not unwelcome.

I sit in the middle of the forest floor and recall their confused faces for I am the caster of illusions, one of them being my appearance which I have dulled down and made less obvious; including my eyes which for this place I chose to be brown to match my waist-length brown hair. Looking at me, they could not know what I was. But know I shall have to mask my scent also for awhile.

Each illusion takes its toll as it requires energy to fool people, but, as I have used illusions to mask my appearance for many years, I have grown more powerful to make illusions easy to create. I've never let my appearance illusions down; no one has seen what I really look like, not even me, for goodness knows how long.

But mental concentration is also needed and it is this area that is failing me at this present moment in time. I don't know why it surprises me, the weather is perfect for my kind with not much sun, but I have grown used to ignoring most of the rules restricting others as I cast illusions on myself so I do not, for example, sparkle in the sun.

I can't ignore them forever and decide to find out more about them before revealing myself to them. Usually so many do not travel together. I believe they are like me in their eating habits to be able to withstand each other and the temptation of so many. I don't stay long with any others for they are restricted more than I and sometimes resent me for it. I hope these beautiful creatures accept me…

As I am making my way back to the school, just in time for the bell I hear voices coming nearer. I hide behind a tree before the familiar scent reaches my over-sensitive nose and curiosity gets the better of me. I step out and cast one more illusion, changing my appearance from that of the 5 foot 4 inch female into a 40 foot tree just as they round the corner.

"Did you smell it?" It is the blonde-haired male, his arm across the shoulders of the black-haired pixie next to him.

"Yeah, but when I looked there was no one there," the big muscled man continues as he swings his arm, the hand of the beautiful blonde female enclosed in his own.

They stop in front of me, all wearing the same puzzled look except for the bronze-haired boy, staring at the ground, a calculating look on his face as he stands apart from the others, hands in his pockets. They stay in this position for some time and I concentrate harder on the illusion at hand. Finally the pixie pipes up:

"How did I not see anything this crucial?" doubt and disbelief entering her tone as her boy gently squeezes her shoulders, planting a placating kiss on her cropped locks. I guess she can see into the future to some degree and thank the foresight to cast illusions against being seen by anything but the eye, at present.

"It doesn't matter, it may have been us, our own scent-" he soothes before being interrupted.

"We would have recognised our own scent", the pretty blonde stares pensively as the words exit her mouth, spat defensively, her hands now wrapped around her body, rubbing against her arms against the wind. "Edward what are you staring at?" The bronze-haired boy starts, looks at the blonde and then points at the base of my trunk where there lays a fox drained of not just life, but blood as well. I try to cast the illusion that it died of natural causes but my thoughts are so scattered it is all I can do to keep the tree solid.

"Any of us?" Muscles asks around the group to a chorus of shaking heads. "Well. That's that then. Keep your eyes open for anything strange". I tremble at the thought of being caught.

"Did that tree just… flicker?" Puzzled looks answer the question of the blonde and on hearing the bell, they head back for the school, the whole conversation being carried out at super-speed.

I collapse into my original illusion and wrap my arms about my legs, swaying back and forth on the forest floor and gasping for breath.

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**There you go. Hope it wasn't too bad. I already prefer this story to my other one. I think I may re-write the other one... Anyway!**

**Review etc.**

**Thanks!**


	3. Introductions

**I don't think this chapter is as good but what I have planned for the next chapter _should _make up for it, I hope.**

**But for now, enjoy!**

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Chapter Three

I enter the classroom and have time to note the black table-tops and yellow gas-taps of the biology lab. And also the fact that only one seat remains: right next to the copper-haired boy. Before this can sink in fully I am knocked into by the teacher. The illusion that makes me less noticeable has worked too well and in him concentrating so hard on the microscopes on the tray in his hands, he has not noticed me at all and walked straight into my back. I barely notice apart from the falling piece of equipment which I catch carefully. I believe I reacted too quickly and neither did I move when the tray was slammed into the small of my back by the teacher.

"Oh! I didn't see you there! I'm sorry, are you alright?" the man is asking.

"I'm fine, I barely noticed it, honestly!" I take some of the microscopes off the tray to lighten the load and take them to the front desk. He follows and places the tray next to them.

"Thank you Miss…"

"Swan. Bella Swan," I fill in for him.

"Well, thank you Miss Swan. If you would just care to take a seat by Mr. Cullen there, we'll begin the lesson."

I take a deep breath and make my way to the middle desk and the bored looking Edward sat there, eyes glazed. I guess he is not new to this class and has heard it all before. I sit as far away from him as the desk allows and cast the illusion of attentiveness for the benefit of Mr. Banner. Edward doesn't notice me and I spend the rest of the lesson concentrating on the many illusions I have cast to protect myself from him and his family. I will have to think more on this situation later when I can concentrate on other things than these damn illusions.

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At the end of the day I quickly hand in the slip to the lady behind the desk and make my way to my car. I turn the radio on and head off home. It is perfect for my needs. It is a beautifully quaint and cosy place in the middle of a clearing surrounded by forest. It is secluded and so pretty and tranquil. I shall begin to decorate it soon, I think, if I these others accept me.

I enter through the stable door and throw my keys on the table and head for the living room to sit. I ponder on today's events. Why did I react so panicky? They haven't threatened me. They saw the fox so must know that I don't drink… other blood. My behaviour was irrational. Tomorrow I'll speak to them. But for now, I'll get the old wallpaper off, it's hideous!

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**Hope it was alright! Review and tell me if I should re-write it and scrap this or just carry on to the next chapter...**

**3 chapters in one day, I really need to get out more!**

**Thanks and don't forget to review!**


	4. Surprise Sun

**Okay, so here it is! It's a _little_ bit longer but anywho. I tried a long chapter but it just turned into a rambling nonsensical mess, sorry!**

**Anywho:** **enjoy!**

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Chapter Four

I pass the night away listening to music and building my strength up on two deer found in the forest that is my back yard. I have allocated each room and in pen I have written on the walls the decorating plan. It is only a small house but seeing as it is just me – and shall only ever be just me – and I don't sleep, it doesn't need to be big.

In the morning I head for my car in the ever present rain and once at school join the line of cars snaking their way around the parking lot, searching for a space. Bored of this tedious task I spot a space and cast the illusion that it is filled until I reach it, pulling in smoothly, feeling smug as I open my door, nearly hitting the shiny silver Volvo in the next space. Muscles is pulling Blondie out of the back door as Pixie and the blonde male stand waiting for them, holding hands. Edward is already halfway to the front door. I lose the illusion masking my scent and watch the shock register on their faces and turn to see Edward heading back at a swift trot. I close my door and lock it slowly before turning to look at them.

I meet five pairs of inquisitive, golden eyes. I lose part of the illusion shrouding my appearance so the true colour of my eyes and the bruises underneath can be seen before bowing my head to look sheepishly at the ground. Well… So far so good, I guess.

"Say something," the silence is killing me and my plea comes out in a defensive whisper. I am so nervous that if I could sweat, I would be doing so.

"Well," Muscles begins.

"We should have guessed," continues Edward. "You first turn up and the first signs appear? God, I should have figured it out instead of worrying everyone."

"Edward, don't beat yourself up about it, you weren't to know," Pixie consoles.

"Yeah, we didn't figure it out either," the blonde male adds, his arm snaking around the pixie's waist. Edward looks queasy and opens his mouth as if to add something else before, apparently thinking better of it, closing it again. He stares at the ground at my feet, a look of concentration on his glorious features as his family takes over the conversation.

"Um… May I ask: how?" blonde-male asks the question on each of their faces.

"Yeah, that was freaky!" Muscles gets a jab to the ribs with the elbow of Blondie at his comment as she shoots him a look of pure death. I grin.

"Illusions," I explain as understanding registers on each face. Edward is concentrating so hard I don't think he's heard anything that's been said.

"What's with him? Have I upset him?" Muscles cracks a smile and laughs. I already feel much better and I am so relieved. I have no idea what got me so worried. But before I can ponder on those strange feelings, Muscles slaps Edward on the back with a resounding crack that shocks him out of his reverie.

"Edward! Stop ignoring… Sorry" he ends with a sheepish grin.

"Bella Swan," I hold my hand out and Muscles grabs it with bone-crushing force to pull me into an even tighter embrace.

Blondie sees my startled expression, "sorry, he gets a little over-excited sometimes." I feel so much at ease!

We begin to walk to school, a little late but as there are no onlookers we can easily make up missed time. I am smiling so much and laughter is all around me, so happy that I don't hear all the conversation but laugh anyway. But then the laughter goes away and worried tones register.

"What's wrong?" I question, wanting to know what's upset them so.

"The sun, Alice why didn't you see this?" Blondie asks, not unkindly.

"I don't know, I can't understand it," she's shaking her head, panic written all over her face, "I don't know."

"Oh God, sorry! It's me. Crap," I know what I've got to do but can I? 5 plus myself is a lot of people to stop sparkling. The sun is making its way from behind the clouds and heading right for us, we have but a matter of seconds. "Right, I'll explain later but for now, run to your car _as fast as you can_, don't worry, no one will notice. Can one of you carry me? I can't concentrate on running-"

"Edwards fastest" Muscles supplies and I leap on the Copper's back.

"Go! Head for home and don't worry about speed, your car windows aren't tinted so you'll still be little gems until you get home," I give a little chuckle at the imnage of the Volvo, blinding lights issuing from the windows, "Okay on the count of 3: 1… 2… 3!"

They hit the sunlight at a run, all apprehensive as I feel all the energy draining away from me. They spend too much time looking at their sun-kissed skin that isn't blinding them, still running but not fast enough. I begin to panic, I can't keep this up forever.

"Don't stop! Run," I manage to gasp out and their own panic and worry crosses their faces as they speed up, muscles straining to go faster.

They get in the car and lay me across their laps in the back. I can feel their hands holding on to me so I won't fall off as we speed over the roads. My eyes are closed and I let nothing distract me even as the smooth road gives way to a dirt track.

The car stops and I'm carried bridal-style in two lanky arms into what I assume is their house. I am so tired I can't even open my eyes and surrender myself to the hallucinations that substitute unconsciousness in this undead state

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**Hope it was alright.** **So review, I'm not 100 percent sure what could happen next so any ideas could make it into the actual thing.**

**I think I quite like this chapter... What d'you think?**

**Thanks!**

**_PS, I hate stories without chapter titles but couldn't think of any so review with titles for each chapter! If I choose your chapter title you'll get a special mention and a cyber cookie, I promise Thanks! (Again)_**


	5. How Frustrating

**Another short one but I couldn't think properly what else to put and so thought it best not to make up something bad just for the sake of a long chapter that would be crap. **

**Anyway, Enjoy the albeit short but hopefully full of good drama chapter 5!**

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Chapter Five

I can't find the energy to open my eyes, but I can hear muffled conversations at the edge of hearing, some I know to be of my imagination, memories, but one is more prominent, the voices more desperate to be heard.

"Give her some room," a female voice I haven't heard before suggests. Then I smell the reason why I have slipped from the deeper thoughts; salvation smells a lot like fox. I let my head fall to the side, closer to the smell as its still warm carcass is laid gently next to me; it's coarse fur brushes my cheek as I reach out for it, stretching my neck so I can get a good grip on it. I tune out, relishing the sweetness of it.

Feeling recuperated, albeit only slightly, I force my eyes open, blinking furiously against the brightness of the sun streaming through the open windows and reflecting off the startlingly white walls. I turn my head away from the light and into the soft leather cushion that makes the back of the sofa that I am lying on.

"Better?" the same voice as before asks. I nod my head and look up to see a brunette standing over me, wiping my own brown locks from my face with her small hands. "Glad to hear it!" She smiles warmly, as if she really means it, before turning to leave the room.

"She's fine, just don't crowd her. She'll need more soon I think but tell Carlisle he needn't come over, okay? We've got it covered," I hear her telling someone downstairs. I smile as the sun comes through the window, soaking my clothes and I with its welcomed warmth. A door closes downstairs and everyone heaves a sigh of relief in the room below. My hearing is back to normal and they sound as clearly as if they were in this room with me.

"Ha! That was close!" I'm guessing Muscles, based on the boom of laughter opening the sentence.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I should have seen it. Come to think of it, how did I miss another one of us arriving in town?" Pixie, that was Pixie. I'll have to tell her about that, she seems worried. I feel another illusion, not my own, one of calming, "Thanks Jazz." They all seem more relaxed. Before I can get too panicked I decide that it is one of their talents. That's all. Nothing to worry about.

"Edward, what's with the idiotic grin?" Muscles again.

"Nothing, oh nothing," he sounds ever so slightly near to hysteria, "apart from the fact that I can't read her mind." Matter-of-fact-ly said for the seriousness of the statement. Unfortunately I can't make him feel better because I have set no illusions against mind-reading, just being seen. I feel bad for him.

"Oh God! Why didn't you say?" Blondie sounds out.

"I thought I just needed… time," he thinks through.

A bird flies past the window and all else matters not. I cast the illusion of a net catching it before really thinking. I pity it as it struggles against the lies I have cast, less substantial than the air it fights as I pull it nearer, growing more and more tempting the closer it comes. I feel bad but argue that it is just the way things are. The net is simple and barely affects me at all, being as tired as can be already.

Rejuvenated somewhat, I decide to head downstairs. As I pass the mirror, I note that my illusion appearance is still in place. I don't think it has faltered once all day, it is too firmly set in my mind that no matter what happens it must stay there always; I can't even begin to imagine not masking my appearance.

Once downstairs I enter a large room, beautiful in its modern simplicity, a breathtaking piano at the far end. Every face turns to me as conversation stops. They all look grateful and unsure of how to speak to me.

"I feel a lot better," I begin.

"Great."

"Oh good."

"Glad to hear it," are the instant replies before everyone stops short, nervous. Another illusion of ease slips over the group, unnerving me as the blonde male looks quizzically at me.

"What, that didn't work?" I realise he must have cast the feeling and noticed that it hasn't reached us all.

"Apparently not. Well not for me anyway. These all look perfectly at ease now," I point to the faces of each family member, how they no longer look nervous. "I cast illusions too, I guess other illusions don't work for me," nothing seems to work with me, "sorry."

"Never mind."

Edward walks up to me and leads me to the seating area. The others follow, laughing and amiable as ever, but I can concentrate only on the person next to me, frustration radiating off him with the look of concentration on his face, a permanent marker, it would seem.

"Edward, let it go! You're killing me here!" blonde male looks on edge. It's my turn to cast the quizzical glances, "I can… feel emotions as well." And that would explain it.

"Edward?" He looks up, sheepish as if being caught doing something he shouldn't, "Sorry, I don't know why your whole… mind thing won't work" I look around the group seated on the comfortable chairs before carrying on.

"Maybe I should explain..."

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**There you go! _Chapter titles are still needed so please give some ideas_. I get confused which event is in which chapter...**

**Dialogues aren't my strong point, so if any of it's confusing just let me know and I'll redo that bit**

**Thanks**


	6. Showoff

**Okay, a bit of frivolity now. ****Enjoy!**

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Chapter Six

"Okay, so yeah. Illusions." They nod before I cast the illusion of another Muscles. I expected it to be slightly tiring but, like weightlifting, the more you do it the stronger you become. After the 6 stunt this is child's play. I could get used to this. They all gasp and laugh at the dumbfounded expression on the real Muscles's face as Rosalie claps her hands in glee, laughing.

"An arm wrestle, oh _please_!" Alice begs, bouncing up and down on her seat, "100 bucks says…" a look of quiet settles on her face as she looks into the distance. I lose the illusion of not being seen in the future until she smiles happily and I once more place the defences up. "I say Emmett wins!"

"Which one though? I raise another 100 on Miss Illusion over there," I smile warmly at Edward for the confidence he places in me and feel more confident myself. I do not miss the suggestive elbow jab and eyebrow wiggle sent between the real Muscles and Jazz behind Edwards back, and send a mock-scolding look their way. Rosalie doubles over in giggles, I can imagine that look on Muscles must be amusing.

"Okay, bets over: let's get down to business!" Muscles calls out after everyone sets their money down on the table. Blondie and Edward have set their money on me whereas Pixie and Jazz have set their money on the real deal.

Muscles and I sit opposite each other and I cast a bigger illusion of him, hopefully more intimidating. We place our right elbows on the table, each sending menacing looks at each other across the table. Rosalie gets up, a tissue in her hand held above our own clasped hands, knuckles rippling.

"Play nice, and no cheating," she gives us a both a warning look and we both shoot an innocent look at her, identical it would seem as everyone starts laughing again. She drops the tissue: "and they're off!"

Physically he is stronger than me and had I not used my… abilities… to my advantage, he would no doubt have won. But using abilities against a ton of muscle I don't class as cheating. My muscles appeared to get bigger and he strained harder against the increasing force backing my arm. Physical illusions are more complex, but I added physical strength to my arm and soon, his arm was bending to the force fighting it and his hand slammed into the table. The force, admittedly, shattered the wood and Edward and Rosalie picked up their winnings, jeering at Muscles as Pixie and Jazz fell to the floor in mock-defeat. I lost the Muscles illusion, turning back into the small, weak girl before laughing along at the scene played out by Muscles, howling at his defeat.

"Aw Muscles, maybe next time," I choked out between giggles.

"Muscles?" Muscles flexes his arms. "An apt description." He nods in approval.

"No, I just didn't know your names. I still don't know all of your names. So you," pointing at Muscles, "were Muscles. And you," gesturing at Pixie, "were Pixie," signalling first at Blondie and then Jazz, "and you two were Blondie and blonde male, but I heard your name was Jazz. I heard you called Emmett, but Muscles seems to have stuck." Rosalie eyes up Muscles.

"Muscles," she tries it out, rolling it off her tongue and considering. "Muscles… I like it!"

"Well, just for interest: Emmett, Pixie, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward." He points each out in turn.

"What about me?" Edward comes up, looking sad.

"Aw!" I mess his messy hair a little more, "don't be sad. I heard someone call you Edward but you would have been Copper. Better?" he nods and smiles a breathtakingly crooked grin. "Glad to hear it!"

"Me too," he replies, taking my breath away.

We all turn to the yell of frustration let off by Pixie.

"Honey, what's up?" Jazz walks over.

"I can't see if they're gonna get together. Argh!" is the reply.

"Oops! My bad! I can explain, honest," they all look to me. "Yeah, I cast a bunch of illusions masking me in any time but the present. I let it down before so you could see who you thought was going to win the match. Sorry!" Pixie looks positively relieved.

"I thought I was losing it," she explains quietly, almost embarrassed that she got so worried. Jazz hugs her until a smile lights her features.

"But none masking your thoughts?" Edward asks.

"None, sorry. But if it makes you feel better, they always thought I was a bit freaky in the head," I try to wipe the frown from his face.

"Who thought you were freaky in the head?" he asks hotly, as if the idea is shocking.

"The doctors of old!" I jest, finally eliciting a smile from him as the others all laugh.

We collapse on the comfortable leather seats and start to bicker about what film to watch, feeling so relaxed and comfortable as if I have lived with these people forever.

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**I do believe this could be coming to a close soon (as in a few chapters). Would a sequel be welcome? Any ideas for the afore-mentioned sequel? **

**Sorry!! Thanks to anyone who's reviewed! I never go on my email and I finally did and there are all the links to reply and say thanks! Sorry, I have no idea how to do anything on this apart from post chapters. I always felt really bad for not saying anything. So thanks! It's just my inability to use this damned website that's kept me so rude! Apologies, I feel really rather stupid... :s**

**Anyway, thanks!**


	7. Different

**It's shorter than I thought... Oh well. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Seven

"Whatcha thinking?"

"That we should have watched _The Lost Boys_ instead of _Dracula_," is the reply to Edward's question.

"Why?" he seems thoroughly shocked.

"Because those boys are cute!" my answer does not go down well with him.

"Are you kidding me?" his whispered mock outrage grabs the attention of Muscles.

"Not that they could compare to you." I mess his hair again, pouting. He smiles but still feigns hurt feelings. Muscles turns back to the movie.

"What do you really look like?" he muses.

"If I showed you, I'd have to kill you. In fact-" our whispered conversation is interrupted.

"Ooh we have our own Little Miss Originality over in the corner there!" Muscles mimics the voice over for an award show. Everyone turns to look.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" I question.

"No… I don't believe they did." He grins at his own 'witticism' as I roll my eyes.

"Smart-arse," I retort, my own wit coming into play here.

"Children hush, it's getting to the good bit," Alice chastises.

"He wouldn't have listened anyway," Rose adds with a smile and a shake of her head, silencing the man beside her, his mouth still hanging open with the beginning of his next argument.

--

With the movie finished, each go off with their respective partners into to some corner of the huge house, leaving Edward, myself and an awkward silence alone in the living room.

"So… This is… different…" he trails off as I nod mutely, with not even the faintest idea what the hell to say. I sit staring at my hands clasped together on my lap. I'm fine with the silence and find myself incredibly aware of the copper-haired male sat at the other end of the sofa. I take a peek at him through the curtain of hair that has fallen from behind my ear to shield my face. He catches my eye and tucks it back into place. I would have blushed a bright red had I been able to at this gallant gesture and was about to say something when a different blonde male entered, his hand around that of the brunette I'd seen before.

"Feeling better?" she asked as the blonde set down his briefcase and hung his coat up on the hooks next to the door. I nodded meekly.

"Firstly, though," Edward stands up, "Bella, Carlisle and Esme," he points at the couple; "Carlisle and Esme, Bella."

"A pleasure meeting you," I hold my hand out as I smooth the wrinkles of my trousers with the other.

"The pleasure's all ours; I hear you saved our act," Carlisle smiles warmly. I leave out that I was the one who stopped Pixie predicting sun in the first place, not being up to explaining it all over again. "Are you alright though?" he persists.

"Honestly, I'm absolutely fabulous. Never been better!" I bounce on the balls of my feet, "although I could do with something to drink… Do you mind?" I point out of the window at the surrounding forest.

"Sure, go ahead," Esme permits.

"I could do with something too, I'll join you," Edward pipes up before looking sheepish at how eager he sounds, "If you want," he feigns nonchalance as I cough down my laughter. Esme and Carlisle look meaningfully at each other.

"Fine, come on then, it's time for our liquid lunch, hells yeah!" I leave the house only to poke my head around the doorframe as he doesn't follow. "You coming or what?"

"Oh yeah right!" he snaps out of the far-away expression to follow me.

"Don't stay out too late!" Esme calls out as Carlisle chuckles.

--

An hour later with one deer under my belt, Edward taps me on my shoulder.

"Want to _really_ go hunting?" I'm intrigued. Not only does it mean more time with Edward, but also I've never gone far to find meals. This sounds interesting.

"Where did you have in mind?"

A mischievous grin lights his features.

"I know a great place for penguins."

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**So? Is it believable? Hmmm... Not so sure if it is but anyway. Oh, I've justified that Bella being more confident would be that living longer, you'd get some pretty good people skills. Anywho (I say that a lot). **

**Thanks!**


	8. First Dates

**The end has come. But I am seriously thinking about a _sequel_... They're all slightly out of character but hey ho. It would just be some frivolous fun until Breaking Dawn comes out. I just found out it doesn't come out in the UK until later. Grrr. And Grrrr some more. Oh well. **

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter Eight

"Now. How many times can you say that for a first date you ran god knows how many miles to feast on penguins, which are actually quite delicious?" I am now currently lying in a snowdrift making the very first snow-angel of my very prolonged existence. The sun warms my front as the ice freezes my back.

"Was this a date?" Edward seems pleased at the idea.

"Hang on… you've never dated before?"

"Nope."

"Huh." I can think of no reply. I myself was never one for dating, but there was nothing apparently special about me. I don't even know what I look like I've hidden for so long; whereas the boy in front of me with the gorgeous grin should have been the hardest guy to get anywhere for the mile-long queue of groupies. Hell, I'd have been first in line with the 'I asked Cullen on a date' T-Shirt. I'd probably have designed them. It's true: I get unhealthily obsessed about things.

"So… Has it been a good first date? Enough of a good impression to lead to a second?" Edward asks, smirking and knowing the answer already. I still nod the affirmative.

"A third?" again a nod of consent from me.

"How about a twentieth?" He's still grinning, taunting.

"We'll just have to see how good some other skills are," I answer the challenge, loving the suddenly unsure look on his face as I grab his hand and yank him down next to me. "Very important skills such as this," I whisper in his ear before kissing him on the cheek. He turns his face to me and our lips meet. We turn toward each other as my hands interlock behind his neck and his begin to knot in my hair, oblivious to the sun setting in the background, second glorious object after the person in front of me.

--

Thank God for not breathing.

I don't know how long we carried on, but sitting on the ice, looking at the stars, feeling his fingers knotted with mine, I've never felt so blissfully happy.

"So," he begins, a little breathless, as am I, even if it is only out of habit. "So. Good enough for a twentieth?"

"Oh definitely," I chuckle breathlessly, "And your name is being changed from Copper to Gorgeous."

"Aw! I always think the original is better."

"Whatever you say. Copper it is." I sigh as he moves over the ice to begin round two of the tonsil-tennis I am so fond of; and I'm more than happy to comply.

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**Aw! They got together! I always knew they would! **

**Anyway, review and tell me how you think it went!**

**Thanks!**


	9. Respect your Elders

**Okay, so it's been a while. The other sequel was boring and therefore deleted and I'm starting again with Part Two. Sorry it's been so long but school has been hectic and these new chapters are going to probably be few and far between and, as made evident in this chapter, quite short.**

**Argh! Revision for GCSE's sucks but my English teacher said I should take an English scolarship exam so it can't be all bad.**

**Anyway, enjoy becuase it's all I'll have time for for a while!**

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_Part II_

Chapter Nine

I observed my little house critically. The garden needed seeing to: weeding, mowing and generally smartening it up from the overgrown state it was in. The front door could do with being replaced as damp had set into the wood and the paint was peeling.

Edward and I had jogged home through the night, talking of each others existence and debating each decade and which had produced the greatest music and had arrived at the great white mansion just as the sun was rising over the mountains, moving instantly from the shelter of the towering peaks to the bank of clouds. Before school, after confirming that the sun would remain hidden, I set off home to grab a clean pair of clothes to replace the jeans and pullover now covered in grass stains. Of course Edward joined me and within minutes we arrived unseen on my doorstep.

Before unlocking the door I assured Edward that I just hadn't got around to decorating as I had, in fact, only arrived in town a couple of days ago. He understood perfectly. As I pushed the door open on its recently oiled hinges I looked at the empty boxes opened out flat and stacked in a pile leaning on the wall. The walls had been stripped of wallpaper and the scent of recently dried paint hung in the air from the recently white-washed walls. For creatures with our speed it had taken little over an hour to strip the downstairs walls and another half hour to coat them in an even base. It looked pitifully free of any sign as to who lived here.

I made my way up the staircase to the large bedroom to the right at the top of the stairs and started rummaging in a wooden chest for some comfortable jeans. I heard Edwards's soft steps as he took in the vaulted ceiling and bleached floorboards. He picked up one of the many books scattered around the room as I had been constantly distracted while sorting out the boxes. I loved books and in so many years I had a vast collection and while packing to leave the last location I had had to cram them into any available space in the boxes.

I chose a navy T-shirt and stone coloured jacket before heading to the bathroom to change. I heard Edward press the play button in my room to listen to the song I had been unpacking to and when I came back saw him tapping his foot on the floor while reading one of the weathered hardback books. He pulled a face at the page before throwing it on the top of one of the boxes and coming over to me. He had already changed at his own house.

"You'd better respect my books more. They're probably as old as you and they're not immortal," I hit him playfully on the arm before picking the book up, smoothing out the crease in the page and trying to reach to the top shelf of my bookcase to start sorting it out from the top. Just as I was about to jump up to reach, a pair of strong hands grabbed me around the waist to lift me up. I placed the book lovingly on the dusty shelf before he slowly lowered me back to the floor where upon I turned around to stare at a black T-shirt barely concealing the well-toned chest of Edward. I looked up at his lips, so beautiful, before looking into his eyes in all their golden glory, becoming mesmerized and sinking into their warm depths.

"Or what, Miss Swan?" he asked slowly, his breath washing over my face with a scent so glorious my own breath caught in my throat. "What will you do? And that's assuming you catch me," and with another quick kiss on my forehead and a shout over his shoulder of "hurry up slowcoach," he was suddenly through the window and running over the grass toward the trees, a broad smile on his face. Not one to surrender a challenge I followed him into the trees as the sun rose higher and it cloaked itself in the veil of velvety clouds.

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**Yey or nay for the new chapter? Review and tell all!**

**Thanks to the people who have already reviewed, I wouldn't have even bothered to try and salvage this if not for you so keep reviewing and I'll keep writing, deal? Cool**

**Thanks**


	10. An After School Outing

**Here's the next chapter! I figured that I'd do a new chapter each weekend and see if I had time for any more in the week so i have no idea how long it will be in between each new chapter. Hopefully not too long!**

**Anyway, disclaimer: I do not own twilight**

**And enjoy!**

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_Part II_

Chapter 10

As I sped over the ground, having to rely on scent to find Edward due to the trees blocking my vision, I realised there was not a chance I'd catch him like this. I decided that the only way to win an impossible race was to cheat.

"When I get my hands on you, Cullen, you'd better start praying to that cross you've got hanging in your hallway," I shouted, knowing he'd hear. I heard him chuckle and I doubled my efforts to get to him. I quickly slipped into Edward's figure, the illusion meaning my own speed now matched his before bulking up the leg muscles so I had more power to propel myself through the air. The feeling of such speed was exhilarating as the leaves were sent dancing on their stems in my passing and a broad grin spread across my face.

Gradually I began to catch sights of Edward ahead of me through breaks in the trees and switching from Edward to Muscles gave me the strength to leap over his head to land in front of him. The confused look on his face as Emmett dropped from the sky made it all worthwhile before switching back to my usual appearance. The quizzical pout gracing his face soon left, replaced by joy as he tackled me to the floor. I cried out in mock outrage as I felt the damp mud seep through my jacket and into my top. So much for getting changed.

But he silenced my protest as our lips met and my hands began to comb through his hair, marvelling, as always at its softness and the way it glinted in the sun. One of his hands had wandered from their usual spot at the base of my neck to my waist and the other had deviated even further south. I can't say I was complaining.

We were brought all too soon from our exploration session by Pixie's voice scaring the birds from the trees.

"I know you're there somewhere and if you'd actually look at the watch I bought you, Edward, you'd know that it is actually time to be setting off." Edward and I both glared in the direction of the interruption. "There'll be plenty of time later so stop your pouting and hurry up." With a sigh we stood up and continued the race, Edward slowing down to keep pace with me.

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On arriving back to the Cullen house I saw both a red car and my truck waiting at the front, the red car with Blondie driving, Muscles in the passenger seat and Pixie and Jasper in the back. My truck sat with the door open and the key in the ignition, the steady roar of the engine bellowing from its hiding place underneath the rusty hood.

"We picked it up and brought it over after school," Pixie explained. Without breaking my stride I thanked Pixie and flew into the driver's seat. Edward took a running jump over the top of the cab before opening the passenger door and leaping inside. I turned toward him and his lips met my forehead. I looked up at him as I waited for the BMW (it said so on the badge) to set off.

Just as I noticed that we'd been waiting a while to set off the horn sounded and Muscles' head peered through the window.

"You're blocking the driveway," he shook his head and looked up to the sky in a gesture that was so condescending… But the laughing look that accompanied the mock desperation at my unobservant nature got me giggling as I started down the driveway first.

It was a short journey and Edward and I carried on the chatting about each other, asking questions and trying to figure each other out. Whenever I was silent Edward would ask in frustration what I was thinking. I usually told him. I just couldn't ignore the pleading look.

Of course on arriving at school we were all that was talked about. We were the centre of attention and every nerve I had was screaming out with such intensity to run. I had never liked attention aimed my way and since I'd changed, every illusion I had ever cast was put in place to make me as ignorable as possible. This was certainly a change. I took comfort in the fact that most of the chat was about Edward and what had made him decide that such a plain little thing as me was worth asking out.

Our first stop was to the lady at reception where I let the glamour over my face alter slightly to show a face nearer to that of Blondie's and her unparalleled beauty. Seeing both Edward and I together left her mouth hanging open and it was easy to ask her to change our timetables.

We left the office hand in hand and my face back to its plain mask.

The day passed quickly and we noticed little of anything or anyone else, thankful for the ability to carry a written conversation of our own whilst listening to the class discussion and causing each teacher to grow in anger as any attempt to fault our distracted behaviour proved futile.

---

At lunchtime Edward had agreed to go with me after school to the warehouse to get some wallpaper for the house, yet when we I saw my truck in the parking lot I also saw the long blonde hair of Blondie and Pixie's short black crop. Edward at east had the decency to look sheepish when I raised my eyebrows in his direction.

"They overheard our conversation at lunch and insisted they come along, I swear," he held up his hands in mock defence; as if _I_ could hurt _him_.

"We agreed that you could have the bigger, faster car to go the further distance in comfort and still get there today, while we struggle to get over 50mph in this thing," Muscles explained, a hand over his heart in a solemn stance that bespoke the sacrifice he was making in giving us the car that could seat the four of us and, to their knowledge, the faster of the two vehicles to get us to the store and back quicker. He jerked his thumb at my truck as he called it the _thing_.

He held his hand out, palm upwards and curled his fingers toward him quickly twice, beckoning the keys. I held them out and, before dropping them into his outstretched hand, made them promise to take care of the truck and not be too reckless. They did so with a roll of their eyes.

Pixie, Blondie, Edward and I stood back as Muscles and Jasper leapt into the cab and Muscles put the keys in and revved the engine to life with a deafening growl. Any passers by scrambled out of the way which was just as well as a second later Muscles, who thought the truck was as decrepit as it looked, lurched out of the space as he had probably just stamped on the gas pedal.

Blondie laughed as Muscles rolled the window down and stuck his head out.

"What the hell is in this thing?" Muscles asked with a half revolted, half awed voice. The steady ear-ripping growl that was just beyond comfortable hearing and causing many of the onlookers to clean out their ears wondering why they felt as if their ear-drums were trying to escape through their nose.

"I knew a good mechanic and he fixed it up for me. Can you handle it or would you prefer the Volvo? It's safer and I don't know if I can trust you with such a dangerous toy…" I questioned, trying my hardest not to laugh at the indignant horror on Muscles face.

In reply he stuck it back into reverse and began to back out of the space.

"Remember to be careful with it!" I shouted to him as he drove away. The others were chuckling at the pout on their faces when I'd questioned their safe driving but as soon as Pixie had dragged me into the back with her and Blondie, the conversation was all business.

I lost track of the conversation as the decorating of my house leapt from my hands and Pixie and Blondie discussed with serious faces whether I needed double lined curtains or if one would be enough.

I rolled my eyes at Edward in the mirror before grinning and watching the dark blue clouds chase each other across the sky.

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**Rosalie's not too nasty because Bella's already a vamp. and no drama about the kid thing etc. **

**Review and tell me what you thought! (because more reviews means quicker updates)**

**Bye**

**x**


	11. Mud

**Another chapter! Don't know if it makes sense: it's been written about a sentence at a time**

**Disclaimer: S Meyer owns, not me**

**IT IS SNOWING!!! It is possible that we shall have a white christmas! (A rare occurence)**

**Although Edward and Bella will make do with mud (You'll find out in this chap.)**

**So enjoy and when you get to the end click the review button and say... something**

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_Part II_

Chapter 11

Three hours later I was still in the warehouse, sat in one of the carts that Edward was pushing around. Pixie and Blondie had disappeared almost as soon as they had ascertained that I had no wall colour preferences apart from that I did not want some sickeningly pink affair. Neutral would suffice just fine. I'd shouted after them that I wanted to design the upstairs room myself as it would be the room I spent most of my time in. They chose to ignore me but I continued that I wanted some rolls of plain, off-white paper.

I was bored of the slow pace and I assumed Edward must be too. We went careening around the store, taking corners on two of the four wheels in our search for the others.

"You know, I think they've left…" Edward mused as we entered the aisles that contained electrical appliances. 60" TV's showed the latest music videos as the fake diamonds hanging from the chandeliers fractured the light and sent rainbows across our skin. I span around in the cart so I was facing him. He was leant on the handles and the shadows cast from the lamps gave his face a new, ethereal beauty.

"What do you mean they've left?" I asked suspiciously, one eyebrow raised.

"I can't hear them thinking. It's not even as if they're just blocking their thoughts because then I could hear what they were blocking them with. But it is silent. How did they manage it? Surely we'd have noticed…" he shook his head in bewilderment.

"Well we were rather busy… Maybe they left then. I wasn't really concentrating on much else," I said slowly, smiling at the memory of his lips on mine whilst hidden in the plants outside, the gloom casting strange shadows on his face.

Edward agilely leapt into the cart with me and we had a rematch.

Soon after we decided to try their mobiles and were relieved when Blondie picked up her phone before the first ring had finished. It was always an option for them to not answer.

"Where are you? When did you leave?" I asked incredulously, tailing off at the end.

"Well hello to you too!" Pixie chipped in at the same time Blondie asked:

"Are you not into tidying up, Bella? This place is a tip."

"And we set off about an hour ago."

"They're at my house! How did they get into my house?" I looked despairingly at Edward. He shrugged.

"You should lock your windows Bella," was Pixie's reply. Edward looked at the phone in interest as he could undoubtedly hear what was being said.

"OK, we're on our way back. I'm guessing you took the car," I sagged as I heard the rain hit the metal roof with renewed vigour.

"That's right! Make sure you're not seen!" and with that they hung up the phone. Edward rolled his eyes, obviously amused by their antics.

"Are they usually like this?" I asked, realising how little I knew about any of the other Cullens.

"They usually follow their own rules," he said as his eyes sparkled in amusement. We set off for the exit and pulled our hoods up against the howling wind. "Why did we come to the warehouse out-of-town?" Edward asked in exasperation more to himself than to me.

"Maybe Alice planned this?" I mused, "Maybe she wanted to… I don't know."

"Alice is a bit of a control freak and very into organising house make-overs so my best guess is that you won't recognise your house when you see it," Edward ventured.

"But I trust her to make it lovely. I'm not good at decorating so it would be nice to have someone who knows what they're doing designing my house," I said, trying to persuade myself that this was a good idea. This was a new situation, people helping me out, and it was difficult to get used to trusting people when previous experience swore no one could be trusted.

I pulled Edward nearer to me and put my arm around his waist; he put his arm around my shoulders. I decided that we should liven up. My mood wasn't exactly unhappy, just… unsure. I ducked down to pick up a ball of mud and aimed it at his coppery hair before lobbing it at him. Of course he ducked in time and the mud hit the tree behind him with a moist slap before slipping to the floor with a similar squelching sound. A moment later I had ducked to pick up a second ball, an action that took my head from the path of the retaliation. I aimed for his legs but still he jumped up to the branch of a tree and began swinging on it by his hands.

I stood back, hands on hips as I surveyed him hanging there, shoulders up by his ears and a wickedly gorgeous crooked grin across his lip. I pursed my own lips as I ignored his and began to form a plan. Slowly I reached down and grabbed a handful of mud in each hand, feeling the small twigs stuck in the earth and sent one his way. It hit him square in the chest, the force making him swing violently from the branch before they both fell to the floor. Edward landed gracefully like a large cat in a crouch with his hands on the floor, the log dropping behind him with a muffled thud on the leaves on the forest floor.

He stood up slowly before making his way to me, his fists balled up by his sides as he stalked toward me, a strange gleam lighting his eyes. I was worried he was angry with me but he quickly attacked my lips with his own. His hands moved to the back of my neck but accompanied with the heady smell of decomposing vegetation and the strangest feel on my neck. It didn't take long to realise that his damned fists had been holding mud which had now been transferred to my neck. I stopped kissing him and as he pulled back with a dazzling grin the remaining ball of mud enclosed in my other hand was sent down his back and spread between his shirt and skin. He mock scowled as I stepped back, mud on my hands and dripping through my hair and down my neck to land on my own shirt. I could feel the damp seeping through the fibres of my shirt and through my hair to my scalp.

He threw another at me as I drew closer to him, creating a huge stain on y jumper. I quickly ran forward scooping handfuls of twigs before hugging him, pressing my front to him to cover him with the muck and sending leaves flying around our head. I went to move away but was held in place as Edward enclosed me in his arms and devoured me with kisses and the clouds raced across the sky to reveal the moon, surrounded by stars.

In the distance a howl went up.

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**Hope you enjoyed. I decided that it's not snowing yet. Don't know why. So snow has been substituted with mud. **

**Review!!! (please? I get all crazy like a 3-year-old on the old blue smarties)]**

**Also some ideas because I have none... Maybe a rematch in the snow?**

**Thanks!**


	12. I've never said I fight fair

**Another Chap. Also 2 other story beginnings out. Please read and review which one you'd prefer to see continued**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Emmett's back!**

**Enjoy!**

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_Part II_

Chapter 12

Eventually we reached the house, just as the darkness surrounding us began to dilute and the birds rustled in the nests, ready to chirp the morning into existence. The two storey building had light pouring from every window spilling light onto the lawn and onto the new flower-beds planted. Two half-grown trees had miraculously earthed themselves at the end of the driveway.

"Honey, I'm home," I called ahead of me as I peeked around the doorway to see the hall completely changed. Instead of the cold, white walls with my decorating plans scribbled on them, nice warm but neutral wallpaper covered them. Alice came down the stairs (a new carpet had been laid on them covering the dark wood with thick beige) and pushed me back outside and into Edward who grabbed me before I fell flat on my face.

"No way are you setting a step in that house like that," Alice stated, hands on her hips at the top of the steps, outlined by the light from inside. Edward and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"What do you suggest?" I asked, trying to keep from laughing at the sight of the little pixie at the top of my porch. "My clothes happen to be inside."

"As is the shower," Edward added, "and some serious shampoo-ing is the only way this mud is coming out of this hair." He patted it back in place in an exaggerated show of fluffy bronze-ness. I put my hand over my mouth to smother my giggles as Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine. You want a shower?" she asked, an evil glint in her eyes, "go get one. But those clothes are not coming through this door any other way than in a bin bag." She turned to go back indoors as me and Edward looked at each other in horror. I was not running anywhere without clothes – even my own house – if other people were there. Alice poked her head around the door frame. "Make sure you hold your hair so it doesn't flick mud anywhere," she said before disappearing again. Damn.

My mind was working overtime, thinking of ways to get around it. Edward set off around the side of the house to the area where my bedroom window looked out and cupped his hands around his mouth theatrically before calling out:

"Rosalie!" She would have heard anyway but it made me snigger to see him acting like such a clown with his long gangly legs in those skinny jeans. But I was getting side-tracked. He was onto a good idea.

"Yeah, Rose pass me some clothes would you?" I joined Edward and shouted up to her.

"Why should I? This is highly amusing," Rosalie spoke from somewhere. She sounded amused and I could hear her smile. Her head appeared in the window with, as predicted, a big grin stuck on her beautiful face.

"Come on Rose!" Edward pleaded. "I will… do whatever you want for one month." For someone so glorious he had a basic way of negotiating. It didn't seem to matter though as her reply came quickly and slightly more conspiratorially:

"Keep talking…"

"Yeah, and I will help you out with anything you need help on," I begged, clasping my hands together and looking pathetic. She disappeared. I looked at Edward who nodded satisfactorily just before I was hit in the side of the head by a bundle of clothes. Edward laughed before grabbing the hand not clutching onto the ball of cloth, swinging me onto his back and carrying us through the woods in the direction of his house.

**

Once we were sat on his couch, him leaning on the arm-rest with his arm around my shoulders and my bare feet on the cushions, with clean hair and clean clothes he piped up with the fact that I could have just cast the illusion of being clean and not covered in inch-thick mud-make-up.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't have been as much fun, would it?" I said, flicking my dripping hair his way making little drops of water splash over him. He returned the gesture in kind making the light pink shirt Rosalie had grabbed for me sport little spots of a slightly darker pink.

Emmett bounced down the stairs making the chandelier swing slightly.

"Been having fun you two?" he asked with a knowing wink. Edward shuddered.

"Not the kind you're thinking of," he replied before shaking his head as if trying to rid his mind of the images.

Emmett clapped him on the back shooting Edward forward before heading towards the TV and putting a racing game in the console. I slipped onto the floor in front of the TV, picked up a remote lying on the table and Emmett raised his eyes at me.

"I hope you know what you are getting yourself into," he said gravely, his eyes opened in wide-eyed innocence. I batted away his comment with a wave of my hand and he shrugged his shoulders and flicked through all of the menu options with another remote as he joined me on the floor, legs crossed. The Cullen's TV screen was so huge that the split screens were still bigger than most peoples whole TV's. The countdown to the start of the race began and I revved my cars engine. With a shrill beep the race began and after a few seconds the illusion of a blind-fold appeared in front of Emmett's eyes.

"Don't forget the arm wrestle, Emmett," I taunted, "I would have thought you'd learnt not to underestimate me. I am not afraid to use what I've got to my advantage." I mock-chastised before giggling as Edward clapped Emmett on the back and gave me a high five as Emmett's car crashed into the side of a mountain and I swept by to overtake. Once I was well ahead I released the illusion and Emmett bent over the remote, staring at the screen in a look of immense concentration. I kept laughing at the sight of his face screwed up with the need for speed. He began to catch up to me but just before he overtook me I went over the finish line in a well timed ending with a satisfied nod.

"That, Emmett, is what you should know you're getting yourself into." I stood up and was in the middle of an exaggerated stretch when Emmett barrelled into the side of me. My arms were pinned to my sides and Emmett was sat on my stomach making any movement impossible. I tried to free myself anyway. I saw Edward clutching his stomach with laughter.

"Not bad, not bad. But only because you cheated," Emmett spoke slowly and deliberately as if speaking to a child. The combination of that and his size made me laugh all the more and, if it were possible, tears would be running down my face. "No way could you beat me fair and square." Seemingly satisfied that his message had sunk in he stood up before settling down for a match against Edward.

I clicked my fingers to grab Edwards attention and under the pretence of giving him a 'good-luck kiss' I whispered so only he could hear

"No matter what happens, just keep racing, okay?" he nodded, puzzled before turning to the race. I watched, biding my time until they were coming up, neck and neck never quite shaking the other off, to a nasty turn next to an almost vertical drop.

"Emmett!" Rosalie's voice rang out over the noise of the cars on the screen. Emmett froze as his car barrelled straight over the ravine. Although his back was to me I could tell Edward was grinning in that beautiful, lop-sided manner of his. I had always loved imitating people and being Rosalie when Emmett was around could possibly be the most entertaining I had ever tried.

"What are you doing?!" Emmett's shoulders slumped as he muttered an almost indecipherable:

"'ry".

"I needed you at Bella's half an hour ago!" I bit my lip to stop from sniggering.

Edward cruised over the finish line at 213 mph as he threw his remote down, punched the air and turned to me, arms open. I took a running jump and flew into his arms. We turned and smiled at him.

"That was amazing Bella!" Edward exclaimed as Emmett looked around confused.

"Emmett!" I shouted in Rosalie's voice and broke into her laugh. Understanding dawned on Emmett's face. His mouth dropped in mock disgust before turning back around muttering about it being "not fair".

"Emmett, that is for every foul in every baseball match. Consider us even," Edward said before whisking us out of the door. On the porch Alice and Rosalie looked startled as we nearly ran into them.

"Go easy on Emmett will you?" I asked Rosalie. She looked at me sideways before opening the door carefully and peering at Emmett on the floor. He looked at her with wary eyes.

"Is that really you?" he asked.

Rosalie turned to us as Edward and I disappeared, laughing into the dim light of dawn.

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**Review and tell me what you think!**

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**A**


	13. Changes

**Okay, the penultimate chapter is here. I've planned an ending. I'm then going to move through each story completing it before starting any more**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

**Enjoy!**

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_Part II_

Chapter 13

"Cullen!" I shout after the retreating back and with a graceful leap he spins 180 degrees in the air to face me. "Thank you."

"What for?" he asks with a confused look, the skin between his eyes puckering adorably. I set off again on our course for the meadow.

"For having, possibly, the best brother in the world," I say over my shoulder as I walk away with a little more sway in my step than necessary as I morph into Rosalie with high heels.

"Now this is just wrong," he laughs, running to catch up with me and grabbing me around the waist to swing me round to face him. Rosalie's curls swirl about my head. "I can hardly kiss my own sister now, can I?" he explains. I pull back.

"It's weird being this tall. How do you manage it? I'm so far from the ground I'd need glasses to see the twigs if I didn't have perfect vision." Edward just chuckles at me. "No, but she's pretty, isn't she?" I say turning a leaf into a mirror and pretending to fluff my hair as I consider how much of an understatement 'pretty' was.

"It's certainly scary enough to make Emmett quiver with fear. Now drop that silly illusion and give me my beautiful Bella any day," he says and waiting until I change into my normal appearance before kissing me.

"Would you like me if I looked anything other than this?" I ask as I pull back, worry gnawing at my insides, realising that I am currently just plain. I choose my appearances on the fact that apart from the description of 'brown hair', no one can remember what I look like. Maybe he wouldn't like me in my actual-

"Well that depends. What kind of other look are we talking, here?" He's backed me up against a tree, one hand either side of my head, buried in the inch-thick moss. His eyes show nothing but love and I am sure of the answer, the one I want to hear, yet a small part of me just has to have confirmation.

"What I actually look like. I don't even know what I look like." I realise the truth of this statement.

Edward looks pensively at the sky, at the clouds drifting about and I follow his gaze to the pair of birds that circle each other, hearing their wings slice the air as they dance circles around each other either to impress or before moving in for the kill, it is not known. Only the beauty can be seen by lookers-on, only in the participant's minds can they know the actions, the turmoil of decision.

"You've never seen yourself? Never?" Edward asks incredulously. I guess it's a strange notion. "Why did you never look in a mirror before casting illusions?"

I look at him, sizing him up, wondering how upset he'd be if I told him the truth. Well the creatures involved are all dead now so I can convince him to stay calm. I'm trying mainly to justify telling him to myself. Now the question has been asked I want to figure out the events and it would be nice to have support.

"You have no idea how frustrating this is," Edward tells me with eyes wide and a stern expression.

"Hold on, I'm getting there! For someone who's gone hundreds of years you could have learned about patience," I tell him. He hangs his head in shame but when I pull him towards me to kiss him, his beautiful, crooked grin meets mine in a clash of dazzling beauty. I kiss him quickly before I lose control of myself.

Pulling back I begin in my explanation.

"Well I was changed in a way that most people were changed back then: it was an accident. A vamp was hungry and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong- SIT DOWN!" Edward, who had stormed up with his hands balled into fists with a look of pure hatred and rage, sits with an ugly snarl disfiguring his mouth. "I won't tell you if you don't think rationally. I was going to say at the end that they all died to calm you down, but I can see you need calming down now. Seriously, it's in the past and if they hadn't done what they did, I wouldn't be here right now. 'kay?" Edward nods and I continue.

"So where was I? Oh, right. I was walking through the woods for firewood and, because it happened near here it was raining, as usual so you get the drier firewood where the cover's thicker," Edward nods as I pause for breath and check that he's following this so far. I sheepishly admit that "I got lost. In my defence it was dark and every tree looked exactly the same." Edward nods in a patronizingly understanding manner and shifts position, placing his chin in his hand in a look of intense interest. I try to give him the evil-eye and he cracks a smile; I've never managed the evil-eye, who'd have known scrunching up your eyes was so difficult-

"Stop distracting me!" Edward holds his hands up in surrender and a look of innocence that oozes 'What? Me?' form every pore.

"We are getting onto the serious stuff around the next tree," I warn him and he soon sobers up. "So I had my arms full of twigs and was ambling through the woods, a little anxious about the idea of possibly being lost in the woods which, let me tell you, were a lot bigger than they are now. I hear rustling and run in that direction, thinking that it was a search party looking for me. I shouted out to them and… I think I fell… I can't remember much but it was quite dark in the forest, but I'd taken a lamp and kept fuelling it with little twigs and things.

"Needless to say, I didn't find a search party. Instead I found one of the most beautiful people I'd ever seen. Not a patch on you, of course," Edward gives a wan smile which I return. "Of course the gash on my knee - which I hadn't given a second thought to since I fell - was the centre of attention. He walked up, blew the candle out and licked my knee clean. I reckon he must have had a calming effect or to dumb people down because I remember thinking how I should be scared, and should be horrified by a man and me alone, but couldn't muster the whit to actually feel anything but slow, pleasant confused-ness." Edward hadn't stopped growling since I'd mentioned the man (I'm sure it was a man) and I didn't know how to console him. Remembering what had happened I was quite horrified.

"I think he must have bit me then, see the bite mark just there below my left knee but… three others came… I think it was three… Anyway they pushed him off and his power or whatever started wearing off and my knee hurt and I could've sworn they were pulling him to pieces and using my lamp to light a pile of twigs that'd come from nowhere and I thought the fire had gotten on me because it burned…"

Edward pulled me into his arms, stopping my little rant that had increased in speed as I had experienced it again in my minds eye. I sat on his lap as he stroked my hair and consoled me as my chest heaved but my eyes stayed dry.

I slowly calmed down, reminding myself that it was all in the past and carried on, keeping my breathing regular and in time to Edward as he rocked us back and forth soothingly.

"By this time I was screaming myself hoarse, and was catching the attention of the others but… oh I don't know. A bunch of wolves came and took them down. The fire was getting pretty big and I made myself hush because wolves were a big problem at home and it was just habit: you make absolutely no noise around wild animals. They were pre-occupied and soon left. They were the original werewolves and the vamps that had changed me were the 'cold bloods' that had forced the Quilete men to share the minds of wolves.

"When they'd gone I think I passed out from the stress of everything and a pretty typical transformation: three days, hurt like hell was burning you from the inside out, you know, that old hat. I just thought I had a really bad fever," I give a week chuckle, gesticulating with my hands a nonchalant gesture.

"So I woke up and didn't notice that much difference, but I needed something for energy; I thought on how I hadn't eaten for a few days so it was normal and set off to go hunting. Every woman knew how to hunt and prepare meat for when the men went away to get bigger animals. So I set off in search of some meat. Because I was so quiet I quickly found a nest of rabbits and reached to grab one, wasn't aware of the super-strength and killed it just like that. Broke through the skin accidentally and you can guess what happened next.

"So, feeling slightly better I set off back home. I didn't know where else to go. Of course I suspected what I was but still, home was a good idea, I thought. Thankfully just as I caught onto the delectable scent of home the wolves caught up with me. They'd come to check on the pyre, that all were dead and found my scent and followed it along with the little trail of animals. They ambushed me and I remember wishing I could be like a bird so I could fly away from them." I look at the sky to find the birds have vanished. "Their smell masked that of the villagers.

"So I turned into a bird and flew away. I believe I managed to reach the top of the tree before collapsing with the effort. At least those dogs couldn't climb while I recuperated. So I was quite a small 16 year old – I think I was 16 when it happened – stuck at the top of a very tall tree that swayed alarmingly in the breeze with a bunch of dogs yapping and scratching the bark. And that is pretty much it. That is my story. No nice man sat next to me all the while to explain things at the end. I never went home. I left a note. Folded up a note from me, telling them what had happened, folded it up and sent it flying to the village then ran. The first person I came across got a surprise and after the first few people I remembered my mother always feeling bad about killing a rabbit for the stew. I'd survived on animals in the first few weeks as I travelled; there was no other option, so why when I reached civilisation should I murder innocents?"

Edward just holds me, kissing my shoulder through the fabric of my t-shirt. I push out of his embrace and move to the middle of the clearing, cleaning my hands on the back of my pants.

"Right: let's do this!"

Edward looks at me warily.

"To find out what I really look like"… I try to jog his memory. "I never got a chance to check y'see? No mirrors in the middle of woods." I pull Edward to the middle with me and stand with each hand of his in one of mine. I close my eyes. I slowly peek from under one eye. He's doing the same. "If I turn out to be some hideous beast can you forget it and pretend I always look like this?"

"Bella," he looks up and shakes his head in mock despair, much happier than I had any hope we could be after such a morbid conversation but I am finally going to see what I look like. I guess this must be how a patient who has just had a complete body and face transplant must feel like. I jump up and down.

"Okay, I _will _do this! Okay! Here goes."

And I drop the illusion. I slowly open my screwed up eyes and peer at Edward. He's looking at me with an expression of… adoration? I imagine the moss on the tree as a mirror and look into the new surface, as smooth as any manufactured item. It is strange.

My hair is a darker, mahogany brown, wavy and with red shining through when the sun hits the curls. I am a little shorter and more willowy. My eyes are a burnt gold and less deep-set than my illusion. My eyes slant upwards slightly and my ears are less rounded and slightly smaller. The girl in the mirror is as beautiful as the vampire stood next to her. I drop the illusion of the mirror and turn to Edward. The girl in the glass also turns to her companion before joining him in a heated kiss, their mouths locking, their tongues caressing each other.

Some time after, the boy and girl are leaning against a different tree. The mirror reflects how they both cross their legs at the ankles. It also depicts how the girl looks at it with puzzlement before waving at it, as if to shoo it away. It shows how her mouth moves, but does not, however, give a voice to her words. If it could have done such a thing, it would have sounded like this:

"I swear I dropped that illusion. Why won't it go away?" I am seriously confused. I _did _drop that illusion. I wave my hand at it again to make it disappear before walking over to it. It feels cold to the touch and completely stuck onto the tree. I try smashing it and end up sucking my knuckles when it stays intact. Edward comes over.

"You're beautiful you know," are his first words.

"Well thank you," I reply, giving him a quick kiss on his nose, having to jump on my tiptoes to reach. "But you have told me this quite a few times now. What is puzzling me that, although I have never actually permanently changed something from one thing to another instead of just casting an illusion that I can stop at the drop of a hat, all the facts seem to say that I have. And it is as strong as us." Edward tries to smash it as well and I laugh when he puckers his lips, trying not to let the pain lancing down his arm show. I giggle at his wounded pride; I feel bad but can't help it. His face all screwed up is quite amusing.

But shouldn't my own arm still hurt? I hardly punched it lightly.

But…

My thoughts seem sluggish…

My head feels heavy…

I can't concentrate properly on Edward. I am vaguely aware of the giggles that I did not call to my lips dropping like unwelcome raindrops…

This does not feel good…

There is too much power. Too much energy…

I can't hold it…

I am going to explode… Just when things are going my way. Stupid Sod and his stupid law.

I am being ripped apart from the inside out.

But it doesn't… hurt… Not exactly.

Is that Edward? What is he saying?

Where is he?

Oh sh-

Read the AN at the bottom

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**_OK so I have an idea for the ending but if it ends like that I may cry because it is stupid and sucky so I NEED YOUR HELP!!! Also I am not updating until I have an idea (whoever submits my fave ending gets the chapter devoted to them) But it has to be dramatic!_**

**Is it me, or was that a bit sad in the middle? It was too serious but I couldn't change it or make it light-hearted so OH WELL**

**No one reads these so I SAW TWILIGHT TODAY!!!**

**It was fab only some idiot sat right behind me, looking like Dennis the Menace and going "Why do people watch this?" Took so much not to throw him out. Anyway. All is well, movie was fab but Edward did not sparkle enough for my liking. Just my opinion but now I am listening to the soundtrack so I'm happy. I love the Black Ghosts song. **

**I will shush now so**

**Thanks!**

**A**


	14. BELLA!

**AHHH!!! It's the last chapter. I can't decide whether I like it or not... But it's better than the original idea where she had to run away before she exploded or something. All agreed that would have sucked?**

**Anyway, ENJOY IT!!! Because this is really the end. **

**Disclaimer: Stepehenie Meyer owns all things Twilight-ish, not me**

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_Part II_

Chapter 14

Every thought I have is too slow, too muffled. Everything is going too slowly, distorting itself as it turns to the side as I fall, blades of grass blocking the view of Edward running towards me, even if he is going exceedingly slowly, even for a human, as if through glue. But then the glue seems to set, and Edward freezes with the same look of anxious worry on his face. I have to giggle at the lines etched into his forehead, between his eyes and his mouth hanging half open in an indelicate fashion. In fact I feel really giddy and clutch onto the grass blades for support.

I try to call out to Edward, but my lips don't seem to want to obey my commands. It takes only a few nanoseconds more to realise that _nothing_ is moving. There is no wind making the branches sway, no movement from the grass as my laboured breathing gusts over the dewy stalks.

I turn onto my back, crushing the unyielding grass beneath my shoulder blades and look up, into the sky. The two birds have returned and now face each other, feet tucked to their bodies and wings outstretched as if fanning each other. Even the clouds have stopped their constant chase and sit still in their close proximity, the different shades of grey and purple, yellow and green staining the sky like a bruise. They too are frozen in time. Because that is what I am guessing this is. I seem to be… outside time.

I lift my arm up, the cloudy pressure gone from my brain allowing my body to respond once more. I wave it through the air, noting how the dust particles do not dance in the light coming through a gap in the trees, like they should do but stay in their places resolutely. I sigh.

But how? This goes against anything. Maybe I am just going really, really fast. But how do I slow down? I need to talk to Edward; need his reassurance. And he's right in front of me. I doubt he'd respond. I stand up and wave my hand in front of his face, noticing how the fingers are longer, slender. As predicted, he doesn't even bat and eyelash. Am I stuck here? How do I get out? What have I got myself into?

It hasn't occurred to me until just now that if there was a perfect time to panic, it would be right now. Just my luck. Would Alice not have seen this outcome? No I doubt it. Maybe this is just how I reacted to the build-up of… I don't know…

I turn from Edward and go to sit down, only the indentation where I lay just a moment ago is bathed in spots of colour, sparkling. And if I look closely, I can see a path of the shimmering light has copied my path over to Edward, a stream of lights connecting my every movement. I step back and bump into Edward. I catch him before he falls over and stand him upright again and see how the dancing lights have followed my every action. I try to touch one of the orbs of light, this one flashing from colour to colour at eye-watering speed.

It feels like fire, licking my hand as more orbs come to join it, spreading from my fingertip and along my hand until it engrosses my arm. It does not burn, though. In fact it feels cold, a first since I am as cold as my surroundings. I watch in fascination and horror as my arm is set in a glove of light and, through no will of my own, lift my other hand to the path of light. The lights stream up my arm and pull the rest of me into the stream. The sensation starts weakly, tiny strokes across my skin as the gentle hum of nature picks up. I feel a gust of wind, on my ankles weakly stirring the grass at my feet.

The lights are blown my way in the wind and stick to me like glitter, lighting me up and I feel the heady rush of power. I feel the pull of it as it tries to find a means to be used and look around as the last glow sinks into my skin. I stagger with the weight of it, but it is manageable and I manage to keep myself together. Edward continues on his way to where I was on the floor only a moment ago, whipping his head around in panic as he notes I am not there. He spots me and grabs me round the shoulders to lift me up.

"You alright?" is all he manages to get out and all I can do is nod before we're kissing once again.

We're stopped all too soon by Edward's phone ringing. _Sister Psychic_ by _Smash Mouth_ blares out.

"I bet it's Alice. $5. Deal?" I say grinning before hearing Alice screaming down the phone.

"BELLA! Oh My God Edward! Is she alright? Do you know what has just happened? Get Bella back NOW!" I cringe at the phone as Edward goes to snap it shut. "Oh Bella? You look dead pretty!" I roll my eyes at Edward and he snaps the phone on Alice as she shouts "I saw that!"

We set of for the house, laughing.

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As soon as we walk through the door, Alice runs up to me and inspects me, as does Rose and Jasper. Emmett quickly glances over his shoulder as his game loads before starting the race. He quickly does a double take and nearly screams after a while when the forgotten remote in his hand shakes as he smashes thorough a barrier and down the cliff before making a miraculous explosion. Rosalie hits him over the back of the head as, if it were possible, he would probably have been drooling. I shuddered at the idea.

Jasper puts his arm around Alice's shoulders and Edward mimics him. I raise my hand to cover his.

"Alice, why are you staring at me funny?" I ask her as her staring continues for at least five minutes.

"You look good," she says absently.

"Thanks…?" The staring is really beginning to freak me out.

"Bella! What happened in the meadow? One second you're about to explode and then you're suddenly glowing, then that disappears and then I cut off because I don't need to see anyone doing that. Then I rang you."

"I've been thinking about it and the best explanation I can come up with is that your appearance is seen by a lot of things, so you need to fool a lot of people and that takes energy. I've been doing it since the first possible moment so I barely notice I am doing it. Once you let it go it's like a burst damn and all the… power to fool people bursts its banks," I look at their faces, trying to comprehend what I am telling them. "Do you have any idea what I am on about or is it just a load of made up drivel?"

It's surreal holding such a normal conversation over something so strange. Ha! It's been quite a while since I have encountered anything life-threatening, now I am turning on myself. Stupid danger-magnet-ness.

Alice looks at me with glee on her face. Edward looks at her warily, no doubt seeing what's in her mind.

"It makes sense!" Alice cries out loud, smacking herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand with such a loud crack that Esme and Carlisle come down the stairs and pop their heads into the living room.

"What does?" Esme asks, full of curiosity and amusement at Alice's face.

"Bella, I saw you making solid illusions, like changing things permanently from one to the other," she seems to have edited her answer a little, and looks sheepish.

"Really? But… that's crazy! I can't do that!"

"Apparently, Bella, you can. In fact Alice saw you making clothes for the little boutique that you and her are going to purchase and co-own within the next week," Edward explains and Alice bows her head. I tap her little head and the look of shame trying to mask the excitement at the idea.

"Best get started then it we're opening in a week." I walk off and smile as I hear Alice scream out loud and swing round as she runs up to me and jumps into my arms in a hug, her feet fastening behind my back and her arms locking around my neck and chanting "Thank you, Bella, thank you!" over and over as the others hide their laughter in their hands.

As we're spinning around the room, still locked in excitement I hear Emmett gasp out "Hottest… thing… ever…"

It is closely followed by a loud smack.

And Rosalie telling everyone to leave a review because it will make me happy and smiley! IT took me ages to write a review, I was like: no one wants to hear from me, they probably won't even notice, but reviews are YEY!!! Please review!!! (I need to stop triple exclamation marking everything. It is turning into a really bad habit)

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**You like? I may do about their boutique actually. That could be fun...**

**Anyway!**

**Your thoughts and stuff review etc. **

**Thanks!**

**A**


	15. THE SEQUEL!

**HEY!**

**Just a shout out to say that the sequel is up and it is on my profile called _The New Boutique_ (what a surprise)**

**Was going to call it Bella's Boutique but it isn't just hers so... **

**Go check it out!**

**And review**

**And read my other fic The Cullen Chronicles!**

**Cool, Bye**


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